Are You Ready for the Post-Holiday Season?

Friday, November 30th, 2012 by Natalie

Tis the season! The time of year for family gatherings is here and for senior care providers that means a significant increase in inquiries from the web and families that want to tour your communities. Maybe the signs appear during challenging travel days, or forgetting simple chores, but the winter holidays have proven for years to be the time when seniors, or their family members, realize that life is not how it used to be or that it is simply time to research future care plans.

Holiday Trends

SeniorHomes.com data from 2009 through 2011 indicate a significant trend: immediately following Christmas day there is a large spike in inquiry volume that continues through the month of January. As shown in the graph from 2011, last year December 26th and 27th were peak volume days for internet inquiries. And as the graph shows, seasonality continues into January. The average weekly inquiry volume in the weeks following Christmas is 58% greater than the weeks leading up to the holiday.

Time to Prepare

Is your community prepared for this busy season? Based on our data, senior care communities should expect an increase in calls and inquiries, so this is a great opportunity to ensure your sales department is adequately staffed to respond to inquiries in a timely manner from potential residents. And don’t forget, the holiday season is the perfect time to show your community spirit to potential residents during tours. Now is the time to prepare for a successful holiday season!